Two hundred and thirty guests who otherwise would not have had a special Christmas meal dined on holiday fare such as roast turkey with stuffing and cranberry and applesauce, smoked salmon, rice and beans, vegan baked ziti, string beans, sweet potatoes, roasted potatoes, corn and bread and rolls.

As I watched and listened to the families around me, I noticed how excited everyone in my train was by this experience. So many kids of all ages and their parents laughed, danced and smiled practically the whole 90-minute ride.

What started in 2014 as an ad-hoc effort by a group of volunteers to provide emergency cold-weather shelter to Kingston’s homeless at a Clinton Avenue church has evolved into a fully funded county-program with, as of last month, a new home.

The group’s latest effort, Menetekel, is a remarkable and unusually colorful journey that follows the duo’s creative north star through soundscapes ranging from ominous to elevating. I was thrilled to touch base for an interview with the philosophical group prior to their upcoming gig at The Beverly Lounge on Friday, Dec. 7.